x japan – A+E Interactivehttp://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei
Bay Area Arts and Entertainment BlogFri, 02 Sep 2016 02:00:48 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.5.3Review: X Japan at the Fox in Oaklandhttp://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/2010/09/29/review-x-japan-at-the-fox-in-oakland/
http://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/2010/09/29/review-x-japan-at-the-fox-in-oakland/#commentsWed, 29 Sep 2010 09:20:42 +0000http://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/2010/09/29/review-x-japan-at-the-fox-in-oakland/By Jim Harrington X Japan won’t conquer America. And it really doesn’t need to, given how well it already does in the Land of the Rising Sun. X Japan ranks as one of the most popular bands of all time… Continue Reading →

And it really doesn’t need to, given how well it already does in the Land of the Rising Sun. X Japan ranks as one of the most popular bands of all time in its homeland, having sold more than 30 million records and filled the 50,000-capacity Tokyo Dome a record-setting 18 times during a career that dates back to 1982.

Still, the quintet has decided to try its luck on this side of the Pacific and has embarked on its first-ever North American tour, which touched down Tuesday night at the Fox Theater in Oakland.

This is a huge deal – something comparable to the Beatles first setting foot in the U.S. – in that it provides thousands of fans their first real-life glimpse of what is nothing less than a pop-culture phenomenon in Japan.

Yet, it’s hard to believe that X Japan converted many new followers with what it delivered at the Fox – an overblown, cliché-rich run through some of the most nauseatingly whitewashed hair-metal imaginable.

Granted, X Japan may have been the originator of many of those cliches – the never-ending drum solos, the lame call-and-response routines with the audience, the cheesy power ballads, etc. – at least on Japanese soil. Those that are coming across the band for the first time, however, are likely to see it as a pale imitation of Judas Priest, Motley Crue or, even worse, Stryper.

Fortunately for the band, it was preaching to the already converted at the Fox. The fans, some of whom began lining up outside the venue 10 hours prior to showtime, clearly valued the chance to see this stadium-sized act in a theater setting. They also seemed to know the words to every song and had no problem dropping $100 on a X Japan signature Hello Kitty doll.

The group, which reunited in 2007 after a 10-year breakup, opened with a high-octane take on the current single “Jade” and then went on to deliver nearly two hours of middle-of-the-road metal.

X Japan – which consists of vocalist Toshimitsu “Toshi” Deyama, drummer/pianist Yoshiki Hayashi, guitarists Tomoaki “Pata” Ishizuka and Yasuhiro “Sugizo” Sugihara, and bassist Hiroshi “Heath” Morie – combines hair-metal, Top 40 pop and prog-rock. The result tends to be songs that are quite boring and quite long. That’s not a good mix, but it’s also obviously one that goes over like gangbusters in Japan.

The X Japan members aren’t treated equally in concert. The lion’s share of the spotlight, and then some, is given to Toshi and Yoshiki, so much so that one of the other musicians could’ve fallen off the stage during “Rusty Nail” or “Silent Jealousy” and probably few would’ve noticed.

Toshi was a remarkable vocalist – and not solely due to his ability withstand wearing so much leather under the bright spotlights on such a warm evening. He showcased his operatic voice, which stirs memories of Queen’s Freddie Mercury and Muse’s Matthew Bellamy, as his band rolled through a big version of “Drain.” Yet, his voice was also a liability, in that often seemed better suited for an Andrew Lloyd Webber production than it did a convincing rock song.

Yoshiki is, without a doubt, the fan favorite. He can be thought of X Japan’s version of AC/DC’s Angus Young, the rare instrumentalist that serves as the face of the band. He’s also the resident king of the rock cliché, pounding out meaningless drum solos while shirtless and acting so overcome with emotion that he slips off a piano bench, right onto the floor, while continuing to finger the notes. He’s a showman, that’s for sure, but his actions seem so canned that they’re embarrassing.

None of that will entice many new fans. And, again, it doesn’t have to. The 2,000-or-so already committed followers at the Fox, some with those $100 Hello Kitty dolls tucked under their arms, seemed to love every minute of the show.